dj_bigbird:Raoul Eaton: I'm not shocked by their fakery, but I'm shocked at how shoddy it is. By contrast, the USA's "moon landing" still has folks convinced!

Remember, the US didn't have the fancy "Photoshop" that the Iranians do now, they had to use real models/mockups, real people, etc.

Here is a tidbit about the roots of the moon landing "hoax" conspiracy theory:

The 1950 film Destination Moon, based on a book and the later screenplay by Robert Heinlein, was the basis for it.

They were filming in Technicolor, with full mockups inside a closed sound stage. They were extremely strict, locking the doors, kicking out smokers and bystanders because of the air currents and particulates in the air. It was supposed to be on the moon, hence in full vacuum. They couldn't have dust particles floating around, etc. They were going for absolute realism on the set. Those that caught glimpses into the set, and angry bystanders kicked out, later claimed that this was the same set and films used later for the actual landing. I'm just guessing they were being AWs.

Gosh, if only some country had a way if tracking earth-to-space launches and reentries, we'd know for sure. Maybe we could make something with radar, or send up some kind of satellite(s), or... aah, I'm just pipe dreaming aren't I?

FTFA: "The new photo evidence could suggest that the launch of the "Pishgam" (Pioneer) craft did not actually take place, and might alleviate Western fears over Iranian advances in space technology. "

Wait, is this something that wasn't independently verified? Are no countries able to determine whether or not Iran actually launches a rocket into space? I can see swapping out the monkey if it didn't fare so well, but that's a big difference from faking the entire launch.

The before and after differences are easily explained.The monkey in question was given a cool new mink hat as a reward for heroism.For the media photo op, he was given a session in a tanning booth to achieve a healthy and vibrant look.And his face simply was refigured by the super high velocity the rocket achieved.